Echo & the Bunnymen are responsible for a vibrant, varied body of work, one that married quirky, post-punk sensibility, expansive orchestration and acid-laced psychedelic poetry to create a thoroughly unique and influential sound. The lush, ringing guitar work of Will Sergeant and the rich baritone and vivid imagery of Ian McCulloch are a timeless, musically fertile blend. SONGS TO LEARN AND SING: THE HITS culls together some of the group's most successful tracks (prior to the album's 1985 release date, anyway), and every single cut is a fresh, inventive creation.

Opening with the epic sweep of "Silver," SONGS proceeds into the haunting, ethereal "The Killing Moon" (both were originally found on OCEAN RAIN, as was the powerful "Seven Seas," also featured here). The band's jagged, more aggressive edge is caught on "Rescue," with its elliptical lyric and spacious guitars, and straightforward rockers like "Do It Clean" and "The Back of Love." One of their true gems, the truly magical "Bring on the Dancing Horses" with its feather-light musical touch and pure poetry, rounds out this essential musical document.